Image of the Day – Uvs Nuur Basin, Mongolia

This image came from the NASA image of the day sequence, although, it should be called image of the every three or four days.

Uvs Nuur Basin, Mongolia. Source: NASA

Far from a moderating ocean, the Uvs Nuur Basin has an extreme climate with temperatures that swing from a low of -72 degrees Fahrenheit during the winter up to 104 degrees in the summer. Containing a number of ecosystems in its fresh and salt water lakes, deserts, mountains, grasslands, and forests, the basin provides an important habitat for a variety of animals ranging from the endangered snow leopard to the white-tailed sea eagle. Because of its diversity and the relatively low amount of human impact on the area, the basin is a United Nations World Heritage Site.